At 16°C, Mumbai records lowest temp of season

This is the lowest minimum temperature recorded this winter following a mercury drop on December 7 when minimum temperature dipped to 17.4 degrees Celsius

The city on Tuesday recorded season’s lowest temperature. The suburbs experienced a cooler winter morning as the Santacruz station of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded a minimum temperature of 16 degrees Celsius, 2 degrees below normal. Colaba recorded a minimum temperature of 20 degrees Celsius. Temperatures are likely to remain low for the next couple of days, according to a forecast by the IMD.

Youngsters sit around a bonfire at Bhandup, on Monday. (Pratik Chorge/HT Photo)

This is the lowest minimum temperature recorded this winter following a mercury drop on December 7 when minimum temperature dipped to 17.4 degrees Celsius. The temperature recorded on Tuesday was also lower than the minimum temperature of 16.4 degrees Celsius recorded last year during winter.

The maximum temperature at Santacruz was 32.3 degrees Celsius, 0.2 degrees above normal and at Colaba was 30.2 degrees Celsius, 1.5 degrees below normal.

KS Hosalikar, deputy director general of western region, IMD, said that the short spell of winter in Mumbai was finally here. “It is a routine weather phenomenon as temperatures usually drop during this time of the year. There is a chill in the breeze,” said Hosalikar.

While air quality had improved slightly on Monday, it deteriorated on Tuesday as temperatures dropped and the city breathed moderate quality of air. The air quality index (AQI)—a pollutant measuring indicator- of 183 (moderate). The AQI was calculated by the System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) as the average of indices recorded at 10 locations in the city and suburbs. SAFAR categorises AQI levels for PM2.5 in the 0-50 range as good; 51-100 as satisfactory; 101-200 as moderate; 201-300 as poor; 301-400 as very poor and above 400 as severe.

The AQI in Navi Mumbai was recorded at 331, which falls under the very poor category. Bandra Kurla Complex had the worst air quality with the AQI measuring 336. Experts from SAFAR said that poor air quality in the winter season is a routine phenomenon and can be attributed to the change in wind directions. “As wind starts flowing from the land instead of the sea, pollution levels increase because the air coming from the land is more polluted,” said a spokesperson.